Roof racks are well known and are manufactured in a variety of configurations. Typically, roof racks include a crossbar with a leg on each end of the crossbar to support the crossbar and attach the crossbar to the roof of a vehicle. The legs are spaced apart from each other a selected distance. Generally, the distance between the legs is determined by the width of the vehicle to which the roof rack is mounted.
It is known to have roof racks where the ends of the crossbar are held within the legs of the roof rack (that is, the ends of the crossbar do not extend beyond the legs of the roof rack). In this form of roof rack, each end of the crossbar is typically flush with the respective leg of the roof rack supporting that end. Such roof racks are referred to in this specification as “flush bar” roof racks. The length of the crossbar in flush bar roof racks is less than the width of the vehicle to which the roof rack is to be attached.
Different vehicles have roofs of different widths. Therefore, the distance required between the legs of the roof racks will differ depending on the vehicle to which the roof rack will be attached.
However, the length of the crossbar for conventional flush bar roof racks is fixed. This means that a user must purchase a crossbar having a length suited to the roof width of the vehicle to which the roof rack will be attached. This presents a number of disadvantages. In particular, if a user intends to use a flush bar roof rack for more than one type vehicle, where each vehicle roof has a substantially different width, the user will need to purchase a flush bar roof rack specifically for each vehicle.
Furthermore, retailers need to stock different lengths of crossbar for flush bar roof racks to suit different vehicles having roofs of substantially different widths, thereby increasing the stock levels of retailers.
Similarly, a manufacturer needs to manufacture crossbars to different lengths to suit different types of vehicles, thereby increasing production costs.